Air boat



Jan; 9 1926. r 1,570,470 W. P. FRITSCHE ET AL AIRBOAT Original Filed Jan. 14; 1925 2 Sheetg-Sheet 1 WITNESSES INVENTOR WP. T'rit's aka 2' MM .10 J We BY lm v ATTORNEYS Jan. 19 ,1926. I 1,570,470 w. P. FRITSCHE 51- AL AIR BOAT Original med Jan. 14. 1925 2Shoets-Sheot g E lama.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR .WDI'r'zfiscke ATTORNEYS I To 'uihom it arrangement was Jan. 19,1925.

' UNITED srA'ras warn-n r. rnrrs'cnn me some mnnncm nxn, or new nnvnn, counncrrcun jam. sour.

Appllcaticn filed J m -14; 1925, Serial 1%. 2,324. Renewed November 12, 1925.

ma concern: Be it known that. we, WALTER P. 'FnrrsoHn and'JoHN DIEHL CLARKE, citizens of the United States residing at New Haven, in the county of ew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air Boats, of which. the following'is a specification. I

' This invention relates to improvements .in boats and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arragements herein tie-- scribed and claimed.

An object of the invention is to, provide an inflatable boat in the nature of a raft having, as one ofthe features of novelty, an

of double airchambers such provision insuring the preservation of the shape of the boat in the eventof the deflation i stresses on the air chambers and dis ensing of one of the chambers.

whichl the air chambers aresecured, rovidwith the need for wood and metal reinforces ments.

Another' ob ect of the invention is to'pro-. a-o vlde adequate joints of particular construction. r

-"A further object of the invention is to provide a double bottom in a boat'of the v character described, permitting. an increase "which:

of load when the compartment thus formed.

is inflated, and providing additional comfort v when the boat is used for, sleeping purposes.

Other objects and advantages appear n the following specification reference being had to the "accompanying, drawings,

Figure 1', is a plan boat, Figure 2,

' linen-+20: Figurel,

Figure 3fis t;- detail enlargedisection of a rtion.of

gure 4,1 is a detail of a portion of the-air chambersshowing how a joint is made locks Figure 5, is-a detail view of one of theoar in mpleted condition,--

' Figure 6, is'a detail view illustrating its ate ofmalg theoarlock illudtratin'gthe use & i Mi e ofaa double for purposes Should one of the uncture, etc. there will still be an Another objectof the invention is to prosha of the boat and render 1t -capab le of vide a pneumatic boat'having'a bottom to v under V ,s,aand.10 view of the improvedis a longitudinal section on the longitudinal section;

PA ENT- OFFICE. 1

Figure 8, is a' detail view of one 'o f 'themay be I carried with relatively large sheet ofmaterial A a floor-forthe Boat. .Air chamdisposed at the peripheryproviding a receptacle ofe ual depth wheth- .er the boat is launched eit er side i Theair chambers'are capable of in ependcut inflation at valves 4, and 5 providing an; item ofsafety' of 'no small, importance.-

chambers become deflated, as by chamber which will; preserve the jstil ifloating. c Each'end of which they. lap. like may be 7 tape is applied tothe' seam on the outside of the boat, corner striplshtl'and 10 be-- "ing applied on the inside. raniements are intended to secure the joints e various- 'arso t at no air can escape from the chambers.

is that'of a'tube. The tubular, double air rim iscomposed of sections, as well shown in Figure -1 without s reference characters.

joint is secured by V I are usually ,fitted and taped before the tapes Oar locks 13 and; 14hold theoars while mitt' g removal of the handle 17 he chamber fabric is turned at :6 7 respectitely. These ends are su tably secured to the floor sheet lupon.

Cementing,'sewing or the 4 employed. A strip 8 of rubber cific designation by e sections'are tele .scoped asat llinF gurei i. The telescopmg -a tape-112. These joints are applied, the latter-- uentl cover theformer and serve to hold t em own.

-, The combined "efiect ofthe air chambers rowing. Oneoftheoars-15 is shown" in Fi -8. The oar is separable at 16, perfor stor-- ing 0 the oar. in a 'smalllspace. The mm L;

locks are shown providedm o m ent, although not essential, is ne vertheless because in the haste attending an ebxgggency the 'boatmay-be 'tnrown overv upside down. In suchfevent a s ngle no pair'ofoarlocks would be inble.

'te sides of theboat; fThis arrange-j duplicate on Eacho'f the oarlocks is'made ofa lurality' of strips 15 and 16 ofi'webbing and 6),

posite directions suitably secured attached to the air chamber,

cemented together and sewed at 17. The ends of the webbing are turned in 0pat 18 and 19 (Fig. 5j and to the air chamber casing.

The latter-ends are additionally held down by a shield or covering 20.

Figure 7 illustrates the incorporation of an additional feature in the boat. The extra bottom 21 provides a mid-compartment 22 which is intended to be filled with air through a valve 23. The edge of the extra bottom is secured by a cemented tape 243cm the outside and a tape 25 on the inside. The remaining parts of the boat are the same as in the other views, similar reference characters being used.-'

It is to be, noted that the bottom 1 of the boat, instead of being suspended from or forms a platform or base to which the air chambers 2 and 3 are attached. Any load imposed upon the bottom is distributed over a large area, and the manner of construction greatly reduces the stresses on the air chambers. All wood and metal reinforcements are dispensed with.

divided by The buoyancy of the boat is increased for additional loads or emergencies by the additional bottom 21 (Fig. 7) and the inflatablecomp artment 22 that it provides. This compartment, when inflated, furnishes a boat in which'there is a triple measure of safety. When used as a bed, the boat in Figure'7 provides additional comforts. 7

There is some choice as'tothe material of which the boat is made, but the material most desired is a specially manufactured airship fabric. This is made to withstand high pressures and severe handling without being unduly heavy.

We claim:

7 1. A structure ofthe character described 7 comprising a anember constituting a floor, and an inflatable rim upon the floor, being the floor to provide double and independent air chambersv 2. A structure of the character described comprising an inflatable body, a, floor for 'ateseparately inflated.

struqture'extending through said body a' partition dividing it. into two air and means through which said ".3. A boat comprising a floor, and-a pneu-, niatic rim-upon chamhers,said

. t e flo'or, said floor extend hrough the and dividing it into tive chambers floor, and duplicate sets of oarlocks o'n optachm'ent to floor preserving container affixed to and divided in a plurality of air chambers by said floor.

6. A boat comprising an air container, 3. floor for the boat dividing the container into a plurality ofseparate air chambers, independent valves permitting filling the respecfrom adjacent sides of the posite .sids of .the boat providing for use of the boat when launched either side up.

7. A boat comprising an air container,

and a floor situated in a central, horizontal plane in respect to the container, dividing the container into a pair of air chambers and providing a receptacleof equal depth when launched either side up.

8. A. boat comprising a floor, an air container. composed' of sections having the ends turned in and lapped up on the floor, jointclosing means including a .tape attached to said sections over the edge'of the floorto close the seam, and other joint-closing means including tapes attached to said sections and floor on the inside of the boat.

9. A boat of the character described 'comprising an air container composed of sec-' tions telescopically fitted together, and means to secure-the joint including a tape applied on the outside.

10. A, boat having an oarlock composed of strips of webbing the ends of each of which are turned in opposite directions for ata support, imeans including stitching securing the strips together, and means including a. shield applied over the remote turned ends to hold them down upon said support. 2. e 311. A boat having a. foundational floor,

and air container so mounted upon the floor into independent air and an extra floor aflixed to the container atone side providing an addito be divided thereby chambers,

tional inflatable compartment. WALTER P. FBITSCHE. J. DIEHL CLARKE, 

